It’sDiningTime!
San Francisco/Bay Area restaurant reviews by Chris NorrisArchive for Phoenix
Rustler’s Rooste, Phoenix
Rustler’s Rooste, Phoenix
March 2008
Woo-Hoo! Rustler’s Rooste gets a definite woo-hoo for being one of the most unique restaurants you can find. It’s a total western food joint, with steaks, salad, corn on the cob, and a real man’s fish, like shark or trout or salmon! They even have some rattlesnake if you’re so inclined …
I first went to Rustler’s Rooste about 23 years ago when I worked at the local Intel facility. Back then, Rustler’s was way out in the boonies, up a narrow road to the top of a small hill. During our trip with the kiddies this spring, we couldn’t find the place. The GPS kept telling us to pull into this big resort looking hotel, with a golf course and palm trees and people wearing polo shirts! Well guess what? Times have changed. Rustler’s is still there, amidst the aforementioned conspicuous consumption, and while the path to Rustler’s has changed, the big ole bull eating hay at the entrance is still there chewing his cud, and Rustle’s itself is still going strong. The metal slide that connects the first and second floors is still there, the rustic interior, the western band, the wait staff dressed as cowboys and cowgirls, all still there.
If you are in Phoenix, you owe it to yourself to give this one a try!
Picazzo’s, Flagstaff
Picazzo’s, Flagstaff
March 2008
S’Ok. Stuck in Flagstaff and want to eat somewhere not yucky? We were and we did, and we found this pizza place that did a pretty good job of cranking out some good, stone oven pizzas and the normal accoutrements of salads, bread, etc. We struggled with yucky Chinese and yucky Mexican in Flagstaff, and I didn’t expect that pizza would be the winner. Add it to your list!
Fogo E Brasa, Phoenix
Fogo E Brasa, Phoenix
March 2008
Way Good. If you are a non-meat eating person, Fogo is NOT for you! Fogo is a Brazilian barbeque style restaurant, where the meat is brought to your table on huge skewers and chunks are cut off directly onto your plate. I first had Brazilian barbeque just a few years ago at Samba’s in the Mirage in Las Vegas. I’m sure a few days of my life is disappearing on the other end based on the caloric intake at these kind of restaurants, but they sure are good! Our kids absolutely loved Fogo and you’ll be surprised to find such a great restaurant in a non-descript strip mall on Chandler Blvd in Phoenix, AZ. If you are in the area, give it a try!
Casa Bonita, Phoenix
Casa Bonita, Phoenix
March 2008
Way Good. What makes this restaurant way good is not so much the food, but that you will feel exactly like you are Cabo from your first step into this restaurant. The music, the décor, the service and the food are as authentic as you can find in the northern 49 states! Between six of us, we managed to try the shrimp, the snapper, chile Colorado, fish tacos, and margaritas. Good, good, good!
